Baker



Original Fied Jan4 30, 1924 nutren BEUBEN CASSI'US @n Application lled January Si?, 19%,'Seriel No. giyfl. Renewed September i5, i924,

To all 'whom t may concern.' Further objects will he apparent from the Be 1t known that l, REUBEN CAssiUs BRU- rollowiugr description. e5 BAKER, a citizen of the United States, re- The invention will first be hereinafter siding at Eaton, in the county of Preble and more particularlyA described with reference 5 State of Ohio, have invented certain new to the accompanying drawings which are to i anduseful Improvements in Aeroplanehe taken as a part or" this specification and Propeller Mountings; and I do hereby dethen pointed' out in the claims at the end of @0 1 clare the following to be a fulhclear, and the description. A exact Vdescription of the invention, such as In said drawings, Fig. l is a fragmentary 10 will enable others skilled in the art to which perspective View of the nose of a convene it appertains to make and ,use the same. l tional aeroplane, illustrating the applica- This invention relates to aircraft, and tion of my improved `propeller mounting 65 more particularly to propeller mountings thereto showing 'the relation of disasfor aeroplanes of vthe,f tractor type in which sembled parts; v 15a stationarywater cooled mounts-is*ernp Fig. 2 is a iront elevation orP the aero ""ployed.` p `plane radiator with the propeller properly Airqaft equipped with machine guns and mountedin place, the latterl being fragmen- 70 other armament have long been recognized tarily shown andthe outer 'ring-plate broken as a vital factor in modern warfare, and r'away for oij clearer illustration;

2o extensive experiments have/ shown thatI a and Y v machine gun may be most ormidahly ar- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional side eleranged to fire directly through the pro ller.v vation or the aeroplane nose, taken on the J5 This is true especially of single'seate coniline 3-3 or lli'f. 2, the radiator and cover hat and fast scouting planes in which th?y hood bein@ l .Q away illustrate the 25 aviator is also the gunner and must therefore 2 manner et i@ i i the hollow spindle in spot histarget by directional ight. Many position. devicesy for synchronizing a gun to fire oe-- Beferring'to the drewings in which like n tween the rapidly revolving pro eller blades reference numerals; are used to designate have been reduced without satisfactory recorresponding parte throughout the several 89 sults and t e more practical plan of arrang-l views, i denotes en aeroplane rediator in the n to fire through a hollow prothrough which one end oi the main shaft peler hiil or shaft has been proposed and 5 of the engine is extended, an aiccommo- Se developed to some extent. Such plan howdatve opening for such purpose being proever, necessitates a mounting of the propelvided in the lower part oz? the radiator. h

5 ler on a secondary spindle or shaft rather second and larger opening is also provided than on the extended end of the engine in the radiator above the lower openingv shaft'as has heretofore been universally the therein and on a 'rer/tical plane therewith. custom, and no practical -or` satisfactory n throu 'h which a heil-err spindle 6 is' exA meahs for acooxnplishin this purpose has tende the latter henigradially at e@ thus f r'been evolved ecause of the re its inner end 'and rigidly secured to the .sulti g insecurity incident to excessive prolongereu' or anchor plate 7' of the aeroplane peller or engine vibration. hy means oi' 'bolts passing through holes in The principal object of this invention is to its flange corresponding with similar holes Ovide simple, secure and dependable means in said'plate (as clearly illustrated in Fic. gdr mounting an aeroplane `propeller on 3) or in other desired manner. the endvof a hollow .spindle through which An elon "l oblong; plate 8 is secured the barrel of a machine igun may he exagainst t e t or the rediator hy means les tended to command a wide ran e, o" operen Another object is to rovi e e, durable from, A. which holding;J holte are 50 and ecier'it' mounting or the character re passed pre y from the aeroplane ifi-eme,

ferred to which will be readily adaptable to said piet-e cerne* formed with annular opel i the various typesoi aircraft new in use, chaine with openings in the and inexpensive'in' cost of manufactura nig-e extended marginally there-n and 4spindle 6 ere respectivelyextended.

The rplate is also provided at its upper end with an arcuate or substantially semi'- oii'cular flange 9 extending forwardlyL at sili-4 staiitially right angles thei'ef'i'oilr.

An open ended` rover plate lll,rori'espondH ing' substantially in contour with the plate Sand provided with fr` side portion or inarginal flange the extremities ost' which are adapted to fitting contact with the ends of flange 9, is securable to the Y'plate S by any convenient means to form a housing for the assembled parts of the device. Ythe edge ot' said cover plate at its upper end isai'cil-r lately orsemiscireularly recessed iii opposition to the arcuate flange t) to provide eooperatively therewith ar Circular opening through the `assembledhousing, the axis of said opening corresponding with the axis of the spindle t5.

An annular ring member or hub ll which is peripherally toothed yor provided with a gear portion l2 on its inward edge and rwith diaiiieti'ically opposed blade. 'retaining lugs` ILS extending radially therefrom, is applied over the spindle e' kwith its gear portion'l.)vr

toward the radiator. An annular ball or ,rollerv bearing 13, (preferably comprising separable ball or roller retaining rings arranged in opposition to each other, as t shown) 'isr interposed between the inner bearr ingsui'faee or' the ring member ll and the spindle G, the extended end ot the latter being peripherally grooved to receive ythe bearingand hold kthe same in place during l'en'ioval or replacement of the former, thus providing an anti-friction bearing Vfor the propeller hub.

Blades l5 of the propeller are bolted in place upon the respective lugs lil of the, hub member l1, said lugs being` formed with inwardly turned flanges adapted to overlap the looms of the blades on their trailing' edges. Clamp plates 13 having similarly formed flanges overlapping the looms ot the blades on their leading edges are provided in opp-osit-ion to said lugs, through which the holding bolts are passed to firmly secure the blades to the hub and prevent splitting or dislodgement thereof by centrifugal force.

A gear 1G in mesh with the gear portion l2 of the hub member ll is securely keyed to the extended end ol' shaft 5, by which said member together with its attached blades is revolved at the high rate ofil speed necessary to attain flight.

A fastening ring plate 17 is finally se` cured in place over the ring member ll by means of bolts extended into or through the spindle 6, suitable bolt holes corresponding with holes in the plate 17, being provided in the annular edge thereof for such purpose, thus providing a means for securely holding the revolving propeller in place. I Y

lt will be readilyunderstood that a niachine gun may be conveniently mounted with its bai-rel extended through the hollow p'i'opelhi'i'y spindle and moved upon its swivel as desired toroiiimarid a wide range, and thatY the dangers attendant upon tiiine;

'the' saine tlii'oiig'hthe propeller are whollyy eliminated.

inasmuch as the application, arrangement',

and operation 'ofi' rthe device 'will'be' yobvious f volition, l do not desire to be limited bi' the appended. etaims to the spel-ille si urtare l. liereinl'iefore illustrated and d cribed.

Having thus described in v in veiition. what'.

l claim as new and desire to seriireliy i.et-y

ters Patent of the United States, is:

, l. f An aeroplane rpi'oi'ieller nioim't ing;r coml prising in combination, an oblong plate se cured to the radiator of the aeroplane, said .plate having an 'openingthroughwhich the engine main shaft extends, a gear iiiounted on the extended end oiC said shalt., a nollo'iv rspindle projecting through' another opeii'iiig in said plate, a bl.ide-earrying hub ii'ieiiiber i'iioiintedfon said spindle. having' a periihei'al gear portion adapted 'to nies'liin'ff eiigtagey Iment with said gear, an anti-fri lion bean ing interposed between the spindley and the hub and an outer ring; plate seeiired to the end of the spindle against the hub mein ber, to hold the latter i'n place.

2. An aeroplane propeller mountingl rompi'ising in combination, an oblong plate secured to the radiator of the aeroplane, said plate having an opening through which one end ot the engine shaft extends, a driven gear secured on the extend d end said shaft, a hollow7 spindle projecting; through another opening` in said plate, a blade-` carrying hub member revolulily mounted on said spindle, having a continuous peripheri gear portion adapted to intermeshingu en gagement with said shaft driven ligear, an anti'friction bearing; interposed, hetiveen seid hollow spindle and said hub member, 'and an outer ring plate secured to the extended end ot' the spindle against the hub nien'iber to prevent displacement of the latter.

3. An aeroplane propeller mounting com prising in combination, an oblong' plate secured to the radiator of the aeroplane, said plate having an opening through which the engine shaft extends, a gear mounted on the extended and of said shaft, a hollow .spindle projecting through another opening in said plate, a revohible blade-carrying hub menillt) lltl

'imanes ber mounted on said spindle' having a peripheral gear portion in intermeshipng en-l an anti-Iriotion` gagement with said gear, bearing interposed between the spindle and the hub member, an outer ring plate bolted to the end of the spindle against the hub member to securely hold 'the latter in place`v and a cover late secured to said oblon plate to provide a housing tor the several parts. 4. An aeroplane propeller mounting com-s prising in combination, an oblong plate secured to the radiator of the aeroplane, said" spindle having a continuous peripheral gear` portion in intermeshing envagement with..

said driven gear, an anti-friction bearing interposed between the hollow spindle and the hub member, an outer ring plate bolted,

to the end of said spindle against said hub member to seeuroly hold the latter in place,` and a cover plate secured tosaid oblong plate to provide a housing for the several 1 parts.

5, An aeroplane propeller mounting com? an oblong plate hav-.

prising in combination, ing apertured marginal lugs by which it is secured against the radiator of the aeroplane, and an opening through which one end of the engine shaft extends, a driven a driven* gear secured on the extended end of Said shaft, a hollow spindle secured to the aeroplane frame and projecting through another opening in said plate, apro eller bladecarrying hub member revolu ly mounted on said spindle having a continuous peripheral gear portion in intermeshing engagement with .said driven gear, an antifrietion bearing interposed between the hollow spindle and the ub member, an outer ring plate bolted to the end of said spindle against said hub member to securely hold the latter in lace, and a cover plate secured over said oblong plate to provide a closed housing for the several parts.

6. An'aeroplane propeller mounting oomprising in` combination, an oblong plate secured to theradiator of the aeroplane, said plate having an opening through which the engine shaft extends, a gear mounted on 5 the extended end of said shaft, a hollow spindle projecting through another open-' ing in said plate, a blade-carrying hub member mounted on said spindle having a peripheral geai` portion in intermeshing engagement with said gear, and an outer ring plate secured to the end of the spindle against the hub member to hold the latter in place.

In testimony whereor` I aix my signature v.

in the presence of two witnesses.

REUBEN CASSIUS BRUBAKER. Witnesses:

JOHN H. Sfro'rLnR, EDWARD B. GRAY. 

